Resolution 111-2008
RESOLUTION NO. 111
-2008
A RESOLUTION BY THE MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS TO SUPPORT STATE LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS THAT
ENCOURAGE, EXPEDITE AND INCENTIVIZE AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AND TO EMPHASIZE THAT SUCH EFFORTS NOT EXCLUDE MONROE
COUNTY, AN AREA OF CRITICAL STATE CONCERN WHERE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BEEN EXPRESSLY DESIGNATED AS A
PRINCIPLE FOR GUIDING DEVELOPMENT.
WHEREAS, the Florida Legislature recognizes the acute need to increase the
availability of affordable housing in the State consistent with F.S. Chapter 163, the State
Compreht:nsive Plan and the State Housing Strategy Act; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is designated as an area of critical state concern under
Florida Statute Sec. 380.0552; and
WHEREAS, affordable housing has been expressly stated as a concern in the
statute's Principals for Guiding Development (FS 380.0552 (7)(j) which lists as a
requirement: "To make available adequate affordable housing for all sectors of the
population of the Florida Keys"; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County has the largest gap of any county in the state between
the buying power of a family of four and the median home sales price according to the
Shimberg Center; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County has the most expensive single family homes and
condominiums in the state of Florida according to the 2006 State of Florida's Housing
report; and
WHEREAS, the current values of single family homes and condos are unaffordable
to 95% of Monroe County's households according to the 2007 Florida International
University's (FlU) Metropolitan Center Report; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is, at present, undergoing a transformation of
traditionally available housing stock into seasonal second homes making these dwelling
units no longer available for rental by present and future full-time local residents. The 2007
FlU repon: states that Monroe County has lost 26% of its rental units, two thousand mobile
homes, while the number of second homes has doubled; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is, at present, experiencing a dire and ongoing
exodus of working families from our County due to the lack of affordable housing
opportunities:
a. Monroe County's workforce age population has decreased 14% in
the past 7 years according to the FlU study;
b. Monroe County has a 25% teacher turnover rate according the to
Monroe County School District;
.'
c. There is a 73% tourism employee turnover rate in Monroe County
according to the 2006 Tourist Development Council Workforce
Study; and
WHEREAS, this lack of sufficient affordable housing opportunities for the local
workforce creates serious risks to the local economy; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is required by Florida Statute 420.9071-9076 and
FAC 67-37, as a recipient of State Housing Initiative Program funding, to develop a
detailed Local Housing Assistance Plan, provide an assortment of incentives and strategies
to promote affordable housing, to develop a strategy that addresses the recruitment and
retention of Essential Services Personnel, to address the needs of people who are deprived
of housing due to the closure of a mobile home park or the conversion of affordable rentals
to condominiums, to maintain an inventory of surplus county-owned land, to create and
support with staff and facilities an affordable housing advisory committee, or lose state
housingfimding; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County is required by Florida Statute 163.3 I 77 to address in
its Comprehensive Plan, the provision of housing for all current and anticipated future
residents of the jurisdiction, the elimination of substandard dwelling conditions, the
structural improvement of existing housing, and the provision of adequate sites for future
housing, including affordable workforce housing, the formulation of housing
implementation programs, or lose state housing funding; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County, designated as an Area of Critical State Concern as
per FS 380.0552 is not exempted from the above-mentioned statutory and administrative
code requirements and mandates; and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Year 20 I 0 Comprehensive Plan directs the county
to adopt land development regulations to encourage affordable housing (Objective
60 I. I .12); adopt programs and policies to encourage housing of various types, sizes and
price ranges to meet the demands of current and future residents (Objective 601.2); and to
eliminate substandard housing and to preserve, conserve and enhance the existing housing
stock... (Objective 601.3); and
WHEREAS, the Monroe County Year 2010 Comprehensive Plan Technical
Document Housing Element 7.0 recognizes the high costs of housing development in
Monroe County and concludes that "the threshold economics of affordable housing
development in the Keys cannot be met" unless incentives and programs are collectively
implemented and that "innovative programs without effective financial incentives will not
produce affordable units in an adequate supply to meet projected housing demand" (p7-32);
and
WHEREAS, Monroe County in order to comply with statutory and
Comprehensive Plan requirements has provided millions of dollars for land purchases to
develop affordable housing, continues to incur the costs of monetary incentives including
the waiver of impact fees, application and building permit fees, has expended staff, legal
and financial resources to draft, approve, and adopt a number of land development
regulations that incentivize and/or encourage affordable housing and has demonstrated
2
.
further financial commitment with the creation of a Housing and Community Development
Division and dedicated affordable housing staff members; and
WHEREAS, Monroe County's workforce and taxpayers stand to benefit from future
state legislative action that may make the development of affordable workforce housing
less difficult, less costly and less time-consuming;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners supports State
legislative efforts to encourage, expedite, incentivize and finance/subsidize the development
of affordable workforce housing.
Section 2. Monroe County, as an area of state critical concern designated as such
pursuant to F.S. 380.0552 where affordable housing has been expressly designated as a
concern, should not be excluded from state legislative efforts that encourage, expedite,
incentivize and finance/subsidize the development of affordable workforce housing.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of County Commissioners of Monroe
County, Florida, at a regular meeting held on the 16lh day of April, A.D., 2008.
Mayor Charles "Sonny" McCoy
Mayor Pro Tern Mario Di Gennaro
Commissioner Sylvia Murphy
Commissioner George Neugent
Commissioner Dixie Spehar
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF MONROE CO NTY, FLORIDA
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ATtEg;l:'~;~J\;~Y L. KOLHAGE, CLERK
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Y" McCOY, MAYOR
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